If your living room, bedroom, or any other space in your home is decorated with a specific theme, you can use curtains to enhance the look without breaking your budget. When properly cared for and maintained, curtains can last a long time and instantly elevate a room's style and aesthetic appeal.

It's simple to customize your home decor with curtains as they come in a wide range of colors, styles, and fabrics. They're also available in short and long lengths as well as with room-darkening linings, which is especially important if you work at night or have a child that is sensitive to daylight. 

Here are some ways that you can use curtains to enhance a room according to its decor theme:

1. Nautical Theme

If your living room or bedroom has a fresh, nautical-inspired look, you can use curtains to give the space either a whimsical or timeless appeal. For a touch of whimsy, choose short white cotton curtains embroidered or printed with endearing red and blue nautical designs, such as ship wheels, boats, and anchors. 

If you'd rather go the traditional, classy route and you have tall windows, go with sturdy, natural-hued cotton duck curtains tied back with navy blue rope. If you prefer red instead, choose red-and-white-striped curtains tied back with red or white rope.

2. Beach Theme

Transform any room in your home into a casual, breezy escape with a beach-inspired decor theme. Start by painting your walls a sandy shade, and choosing white furniture, such as a matching couch and love seat duo, or white textiles, such as a plush bed comforter.

Hang sheer, airy white curtains imprinted with pastel seashell, starfish, and sand dollar patterns. If you prefer more abstract designs, pick window coverings with wide white, tan and ocean blue stripes. You can even find curtains featuring beach murals, so that it appears like you're looking at an ocean scene out of your windows. 

3. French Country Theme

Especially popular in kitchens, a French country theme will give a room a casual-yet-classy appearance with barn wood furniture and wrought iron wine and bakers' racks. You can also enhance the charming, wine- and countryside-decor theme with the right curtains. 

As one idea, hang curtains featuring a dark red, taupe, and cream color plaid pattern or a burgundy-and-cream checked pattern for a romantic country picnic-inspired look.

Other French country-themed curtain ideas include toile, grapes on a vine and wine bottles, red and blue rooster designs on a yellow background, and blue-and-yellow provincial floral patterns.